FLOORtalk

Todd McDonald, owner, Maple Ridge Handscraped and regional instructor for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), comes from a long line of hardwood flooring installers who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Entering the Army Reserves at age 18, he signed on with a friend and both went in expecting to be trained as infantry but instead got an unexpected placement. He has worked in several positions within the flooring industry that forced him to pivot in his career. Listen to McDonald talk about his military career, what led to his return to flooring installation and the importance of education.

Bill Blackstock is six months into his role as president and CEO of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute. In this conversation, Blackstock gives us an update on RFCI, his views on leadership, and discusses his writing project on LinkedIn where he captures all the things that have made a difference throughout his career.

The International Standards & Training Alliance (INSTALL) is expanding its training and education programs. John McGrath, executive director, INSTALL, provides an update on the expansion, the organization’s recruitment efforts and how these programs benefit young people and military veterans as well as its plans for future training locations.

Carrie Edwards Isaac was recently promoted to Vice President of Hospitality for Shaw Contract. She has held a number of roles throughout her 30-year career with Shaw. Listen in as she tells humorous stories from her childhood, discusses her decision to leave the medical field to enter flooring and offers advice to other women on how to advance in their careers.

Nick Bock, co-founder of the private equity firm 31st Street Capital, talks about the company’s acquisitions in the retail floor covering arena, his views of the industry, the companies acquired and plans for the future.

Industry consultant Jim Buckles talks how to prepare for growth by initiating planning all aspects of one’s business—including a personal analysis.

Dee Lenston, technical and training manager, Bona, tells a unique story about getting the opportunity to travel to Korea to play basketball for the Air Force and how his military background played an instrumental part in his entry into the flooring world.

In the second episode of a three-part installment standards series, John McGrath, executive director, International Standards & Training Alliance (INSTALL), explains what has changed with the resilient category that has caused the need to make many changes to INSTALL’s standards that guide installers in a successful flooring installation.

For this month’s #WomenInFlooring podcast, Jennifer Zimmerman, general counsel, AHF Products, shares a fluke lifeguarding accident she suffered as a teen and tells the story of how AHF Products came to be, and how her own role evolved with it. She has recently been involved in a number of acquisitions from the product perspective as well as the legal side of things. This experience has given her a great deal of insight both personally and professionally that she willingly shares.

Retailer Scott Perron, owner 24/7 Floors and Floors 4 Pros in Sarasota, Florida, discusses how he's reacting to the changing economic environment.